Entries in Announcement
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Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- While Fortune had predicted that Apple would hold an event on Oct. 17 to announce its new iPad Mini, with invites going out to reporters Oct. 10, there’s now a new rumored date: Oct 23. AllThingsD, a technology website with a very good track record when it comes to reporting on Apple, says the company will reveal the smaller iPad, or iPad Mini, to the media at an invitation-only event in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Oct. 23 certainly makes more sense for a number of reasons. First, Apple hasn’t yet sent out official invites, making it too soon for an Oct. 17 date. Second, Microsoft is launching Windows 8 and its own Surface tablet later in the week on Oct. 26. Additionally, Apple’s earnings release is on Oct. 25, and the company would likely prefer to announce the new tablet before that date.

Rumors have been swirling about the smaller iPad for months now. It has been said that it will have a 7.85-inch screen, the same Lightning Dock Connector as the new iPhone 5, and 3G/4G cellular connectivity. Some images of the tablet have been leaked, and The Wall Street Journal reported a few weeks ago that mass production of the smaller tablet had begun.

Last month Amazon released its new Kindle Fire HD, which starts at $199. Similarly, Google and Asus launched the Nexus 7 in June for $199. Barnes & Noble released the Nook HD two weeks ago, which -- you guessed it -- starts at $199. There have been no reports on the pricing of the iPad Mini.

Apple has declined to comment to ABC News on any of the iPad Mini rumors that have circulated over the past few months, but if the latest rumor is true, it looks as if we’ll have much more than a comment from Apple.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images(CUPERTINO, Calif.) -- In a major turn away from the years when Steve Jobs was in charge, Apple Inc. is finally loosening up its purse strings, announcing both a $10 billion stock buyback plan and a dividend for shareholders.

Apple’s announcement Monday morning was a cautious one, and widely expected by investors. The quarterly dividend of $2.65 a share is equal to a yield of 1.8 percent based on the current stock value. The payout by the world’s most valuable company is less than the dividend awarded by Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and several other big tech companies.

Because of soaring sales of iPads and iPhones even with this announcement, Apple’s $100 billion horde of cash is likely to keep on growing in the future.

“A quarterly dividend will provide current income for shareholders and we also believe it will broaden Apple’s investor base by attracting new investors who don’t currently own Apple stock,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said.

The divided opens up ownership of Apple shares to a wider range of mutual funds. Many value-oriented products are not allowed to buy stocks that don’t pay dividends.

For years, Steve Jobs resisted calls to pay dividends. He used to say that the money was better used to give Apple maneuvering room, for instance by giving it the ability to buy other companies.

Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer reassured analysts and reporters that they have more than enough cash to grow their business.

During a conference call Cook said he doesn’t see a “ceiling for opportunities” and that “innovation is the most important objective at Apple and we will not lose sight of that.”

He added that “these decisions will not close any doors for us.”

Oppenheimer pointed out that Apple has plenty of domestic cash to go ahead with the dividend and buyback plan. When asked how Apple will be using its large overseas cash holdings, he said Apple’s position is that U.S. tax law “provides a considerable economic disincentive to U.S. companies that might otherwise repatriate cash.” In other words, Apple does not want to pay the tax.

Apple(CUPERTINO, Calif.) -- Apple fans, mark your calendars. The event you’ve been waiting on for months finally has a date.

On Tuesday, the Cupertino, California-based company issued an advisory to the media for a “special event” taking place Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the company’s headquarters.

The headline on the email: “Let’s talk iPhone.”

It has been widely speculated for some time that Apple would unveil its fifth-generation iPhone – or iPhone 5 – at some point during mid-to-late year 2011.

On Aug. 24, after several years of failing health, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs stepped down from his role as the company's chief executive officer, writing in a letter to the company's board of directors that he could no longer meet the demands that the role required.

"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectation as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know," Jobs said. "Unfortunately, that day has come."

Jobs, however, stayed with the company, becoming the chairman of the board of directors; the former chief operating officer, Tim Cook, was named as Jobs' successor.